Irate youth attack Qnet office, invade Police station

Some irate youth of Nkenkaasu in the Offinso North District of the Ashanti Region have attacked Qnet agents’ office at Asikafo Amantem in the Nkrammom Electoral Area.

According to the angry youth, the Company is fraudulent and scamming a number of people.

They also allege the presence of Qnet Independent Representatives and hundreds of the victims have increased crime in the area.

The youth allegedly assaulted the Qnet agents with one person sustaining a knife injury.

The timely intervention of the Police averted bloodbath and arson attacks on the office.

One of the irate youth was arrested and detained at the police station.

On Wednesday, November 10, 2021, at about 7:00 am, the irate youth wielding machetes, sticks, and clubs massed up in front of Nkenkaasu Police station to demand the release of their colleague from custody but were resisted by the armed police officers who mounted a barricade.

The Qnet agents have temporarily closed down the office.

The Assemblymember for the Area, Mustapha Seidu Mohammed told Starr News, he was facilitating a stakeholder meeting between the Community, Police and Qnet officials to resolve the feud.

He explained to Starr News that Qnet started operating in the community a year and half ago having introduced themselves to him, the traditional rulers, Police.

The attack on Qnet office comes few days after Government cautioned desperate job seekers to be cautious of the activities of QNET, an international e-commerce based direct selling company.

Deputy Information Minister, Fatimatu Abubakar, speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Sunday, November 7,2021,“Victims are lured into lucrative non-existing jobs but end up entrapped in the operations of a network marketing company, QNET. Upon arrival in these countries, the victims have stripped off their valuables, held hostage under squalid conditions and forced to commit to QNET services by signing a contract under duress. The only way for victims to gain their freedom is to be compelled to lure others into the business,” she said.

She revealed that the government is liaising with law enforcement agencies in Mali to rescue Ghanaians lured into QNET activities in Mali.

“Checks have revealed that some Ghanaians are caught up in several QNET facilities across Mali. Consequently, the Ghanaian Mission in Bamako is liaising with the law enforcement agencies in Mali to rescue Ghanaians forcibly engaged in QNET activities in Mali,” she said.

The deputy Minister also stated that, Qnet agents are using similar modus operandi in Ghana which some nationals of African countries like Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Cameroun have fallen victim to the scam by similar syndicates in Ghana.

Currently ,15 Independent Representatives of Qnet in the Eastern Regional Capital Koforidua are standing trial over fraud and ponzi scheme.

Starr FM Investigation

Starrfm.com.gh published on March 15, 2021 that scores of Ghanaians and some West African nationals risk being scammed by agents of network marketing company Qnet Ghana.

Many Independent Representatives (IRs) in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital, operating as agents of the company are using what appears to be deceptive business modules to recruit people as independent representatives.

During the investigation, a young man who identified himself as Elvis Nelson Ayittey -Manager and Qnet agent, explained that to be registered as an Independent Representative, the individual must buy a form of at least Ghc100 and pay at least Ghc4,200 for the purchase of a product online and additionally pay Ghc400 hostel fee.

He added that after payment, an online dollar account would be created for the individual to receive payment of commission twice daily after referring two others to also purchase a product

“To join this company, you have to purchase a product before. I hope he mentioned the prices to you. The least priced products are the chi -pendant which is ghc4,200 and the bio-dic is Ghc4,300. There is a way that we can do it for you to secure an account but without. getting the product that is paying ghc2,800. The company operates in 184 countries,42 is in Africa so they use one common platform. So, we are going to create an international account for you so that you can use to get the product. This business is a form of E-commerce so you can do it to attach any work that you do. If you want to come and stay here add just Ghc400 to the amount to make it ghc4,600 or Ghc4,700” He said

“The advertising of the product is not about the number of people that you are going to advertise to. It is a form of teamwork. I started this business 16th of April last year things have changed in my life. I have many people. I have an office at Cape coast. Every week you will get a commission. If you get 60 people under you, you will make $5000 every week. So, try and join.so are you going to fill the form. For the money, you can pay in instalments. The forms are from GH100 upwards “The manager was captured on tape.

Apparently, the Qnet agent has a school attached to the network marketing as new recruits are made to register for online diploma and degree courses allegedly affiliated to Quest International University. He said Diploma and Degree certificates will be awarded depending on the course one pursues.

One of the Qnet offices at Koforidua -Okorase had Burkinabe, Nigerians and Malians held hostage .

The agents convince their victims mostly from Mali and Burkina Faso that they have secured well-paid jobs in Ghana for them.

The victims are asked to pay huge amounts to enable them commence work. After paying the amounts, they are held hostage under the pretence of being trained to work online as Qnet Independent Representatives. Mobile phones of the victims are seized to disable them from communicating to their families.

The victims are told to convince two persons each from their respective countries to come to Ghana under the guise of securing job opportunities for them before they could be released.

Qnet trades products ranging from energy, nutrition, personal care, luxury and collectables, accessories, cosmetics, vehicles, holidays and education among others.

Over 10,000 people working under Qnet in Ghana

Qnet claimed that its network had employed 10,000 people in Ghana who earn between 1,000-10,000 dollars per month.

On 22nd and 23rd February 2018, Qnet Ghana organized its first-ever Absolute Living Expo which was attended by many stakeholders and the general public. Government agencies such as the Ministry of Trade & Industry, Ministry of Business Development were well represented.

Ghana’s largest business association, the Association of Ghana Industries was also represented at the Expo which took place at the Accra International Conference Centre.

The Chief Director of the Ministry of Business Development, Mr. Joe Tackie, representing the Minister for Business Development said: “We are glad to have QNET in Ghana for the long haul. We are also very glad that QNET’s business module supports entrepreneurship. Having being in existence for 20 years and operating in about 100 countries across the world, we believe that Ghanaians will benefit immeasurably from the health, nutritional and entrepreneurial exploits QNET is introducing to Ghana.”

The Head of SME, at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Mr. Sampson Abankwa, representing the Minister for Trade & Industry added: “QNET’s entrance into Ghana is opening the space up for more entrepreneurial opportunities for the youth and Ghanaians in general”

Attorney General in Court

In July this year, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Dame petitioned the commercial division of the Accra High Court to dissolve QNET marketing company and accused it of operating as a Ponzi scheme.

The Attorney General in its petition said, “Investigations by the National Security Council Secretariat disclosed that the respondent, (QNET), operates in a manner akin to a Ponzi scheme by luring clients to make deposits and investments with them which they eventually lose.”

It added that “The respondent (QNET) lures unsuspecting members of the public to pay the sum of about GH¢5,000 for the purpose of placing them in various jobs which turned out to be a hoax.”

The petition was filed under the Corporate Insolvency and Restructuring Act, 2020 (Act 1015).